Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-02-18
ments inculpating Wilfrid Lane? No
no-the thought WAS madness.

uo-the thought was madness.
Yet the papers were gone, and that
they did inculpate WiIfrid Lane very
heavily there was little doubt, since
more than one of them was forgery OF
his half brothers name, and it was by
the holding Of them that Trevor sue
ceeded in keeping the vaurien out of
England, and his own hearth and home
in peace.
Cousin Barbara's warnings against
Miss Craigie rose like spectres into his
mind, and would not be chased away,
let him struggle as resolutely as he
would. Madge and none other had
been in that room, and the papers were
gone-the case was conclusive. And he
had promised to marry this woman !!
What should he do! Go to her as soon as
possible, accuse her straightforwardly of
the theft, demand the return of the stolen
papers, and then spurn her image for
ever from his heart.
That was the decision he arrived at
while he sat gazing at tho open drawer,
and the clock struck four before he at
tempted to 60 to bed.
To bed, but not to sleep; and when he
met Cousin Barbara at breakfast he
looked pale and haggard, and was very
silent, while Bah grumbled away in her
usual style over the thousand and one
petty annoyances which she managed to
find at every turn.
At last Trevor rose and took up his
hat.
"Going out, Trevor, instead of to
work?"
He leaned over her and kissed her.
"Ay, only for s little while, dear cousin.
[ shall soon be back, and we will have
some long hours together in the painting
room"
"Ycs-silent hours, while you are
dreaming Of that Miss Craigie's false,
bewitching face. You'll rue it, Trevor
you'll rue it. as I'm living woman. "
"He was gone, but her words followed
him all through the woods; seemed to
be echoing through the leaves.
In the vicarage garden stood Madge,
fresh and pure and lovely looking, in the
daintest of blue muslins. She kissed
her hand to him when from some dis
lance she perceived him, and he scarce
~ returned the salutation as coldly as
he intended, for at the sight of her
more than half Of his suspicious seemed
to disappear.
Her love sham, her kisses but to
betray? Could woman be so false?
ooh, Trevor" she cried out when he
was within hearing, "such glorious news
I have for you. Your brother Wilfrid
has not so utterly ruined my father as
was ut first imagined! Some OF the
property is saved, and I shall have q dot,
and not come to your home an utter
beggar:
II do not want money" answered
Trevor, scarcely graciously. Il have
enough for both"
"Why, Trevor, what has happened.
How gloomy and stern you look"
Something has happened which has
upset mo exceedingly. Those letters
Wilfrids letter, that you saw In my
drawer last night--are gone" and he
looked at her fxedly while he spoke.
"Gone--what do you mean ?"
"Some one has taken them away: do
you know who it ?"
''Trevor, you brighten me-don't
glance at mo like tIat-but tell me-
whose interest would it be to take them
What are they about?"
81 am afraid you know too we'll what
they are about"
Il! Why, it is only last night I dis
covered that Wilfrid Lane was your
brother"
"Ah! You are good actress, Miss
Craigie."
"Trevor-great heaven, Trevor-you
do not believe that I--oh, this is too alb
surd!"
"You know nothing Of the disappear
ance of those letters
Nothing, upon my word; as + stand
here living woman, I swear it."
He shook his head; her very deter
mined assurance made him doubt her
more, and he turned away.
ALIAS, Miss Craigie, that ]. should
live to say it, but till those letters are
found I can enter into no further en-
gagement. Robblng me of them could
be the act of no common thief, attracted
by an open door; other valuables which
were in the room have not disappeared /"
GAS you will, she answered, bowling
her head proudly. IF you can believe
this of me- it is indeed better that we
should part"
And so, as Trevor had promised, in
less than an hour he returned to Barba-
ra in the studio; but during all that day,
and for many DAYS to come, both the
conversation and the painting went on
haltingly.
Miss Craigie he did not see again,
and report said she lay i'll at the vicar
age; but this report did not reach Trev-
or Lane, since he never went out of the
house now; and so no one but his cous-
in Barbara heard it, and she, in her
gruff, rough way, said: "Itwas wiser to
let sleeping dogs lie, and make no allu-
sion to Miss Craigie, with whom it was
evident that Trevor had quarreled, u
though he had never vouchsafed to tell
Barbara about the letters. He did not
care to allude to them, for one reason.
aud he thought their loss might worry
Barbara for another.
Heavily the weeks passed by, and the
autumn tints were mellowing the trees
in the little wood. Madge Craigie had
left Heathfeld, and already the episode
of her love passages with Trevor Lane
were forgotten. Forgotten by al but
him; he could never forget the vision
of, beauay that had crossed his path
and changed so speedily into hideous
| spectre.
No, he would never marry now. So
ho haI al 1>or 0f
late, and smile had for moment
| lighted up her wrinkled, soured face
at his words.
! Toward the end of October change
came to the everyday routine of Heath
field Cottage. Barbara fell ill. Siezed
with paralytic stroke, she lay speech